Carl Edwards wins Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway

FORT WORTH — Carl Edwards held off Kyle Busch during the closing laps of the race to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway.

With the victory, Edwards managed to snap Kyle Busch’s five-race Nationwide Series winning streak in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge.

It was Edwards’ first-ever NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway and his third victory and 25th top-10 finish in 2010. The victory was also his 28th in 209 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.

“It was a great day,” Edwards said. “We had a very fast race car and the best engine that we’ve had all year. To get a victory really proved that we are headed in the right direction and that means a lot to me.”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway

Carl Edwards holds up his trophy after winning the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

The margin of victory over Busch in the green/white-checkered finish was 0.703 of a second. Edwards also won the $75,000 Nationwide “Dash for Cash” award.

“This race track is one that test your car, your pit crew, your engine and your calls on pit road,” Edwards said. “We past the test today and I’m just glad to be driving that race car. It sure was fast.”

Busch, who finished second, was very upset after the race and cursed while being interviewed after the race. He even stormed out of the infield media center. Busch said that he felt that Edwards had jumped the start on the restart and blamed NASCAR officials for allowing it to happen and not doing anything about it.

“Carl Edwards jumed the restart,” Busch said. “NASCAR never wants to be the outcome of the race, but yet every other week they are. It doesn’t suprise me that they aren’t this week.”

Busch added, “He went before the double red marks on the wall. My understanding in the rules, you’re not supposed to. You can’t make up two car lengths on a guy who already has two car lengths on you by the start finish line. It’s not going to happen. I got too far behind and couldn’t run up on him. The race was lost instantly.”

Busch’s second-place finish was his 11th top-10 finish in 12 races at TMS and this 24th top-10 finish in 2010.

Brad Keselowski, driving the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge, finished third and clinched the 2010 Nationwide Series championship. He is the first Dodge driver to do so in this series. He is also Roger Penske’s first NASCAR champion and he now carries a 465-point lead over Edwards going into the next race at Phoenix.

“It feels pretty awesome to give Roger Penske his first championship,” Busch said. “He’s the Captain. I’m not sure how many (overall) wins that he has, I can’t think of anybody that has more. This one was awesome and it’s incredible that we were able to get him a championship.”

Joey Logano in the No. 20 Game Stop Toyota was fourth and Martin Truex Jr. in the Out Pet Care Toyota was fifth.

Rounding out the top 10 in the 43-car field were Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard and Steve Wallace.